“U.S. PIRG is pleased that, in its settlement with JPMorgan over toxic mortgages that contributed to the financial crisis, the Department of Justice saved taxpayers as much as $700 million by specifically prohibiting JPMorgan from taking a tax deduction for its $2 billion fine.

“Now that the DOJ has protected taxpayers by addressing the tax deductibility of the penalties, U.S. PIRG is calling on the agency to be fully transparent as to why the remainder of the settlement is deductible. If the remaining $11 billion is fully deducted, taxpayers deserve to know why they will end up picking up the tab for almost $4 billion in lost revenue.

“Just two weeks ago, U.S. PIRG and Americans for Tax Fairness presented 160,000 petitions to Attorney General Eric Holder urging him to block this tax deduction. The response was encouraging. By addressing tax-deductibility of the settlement, the DOJ fully acknowledged that taxpayers deserve protection when it comes to settlements for misdeeds against the American people.

“Ordinary citizens don’t deduct their parking tickets or library fines from their taxes. Corporations like JPMorgan shouldn’t be able to deduct their settlements for wrongdoing either. The settlement loophole costs taxpayers billions each year.

“The next step is for Congress to clarify the law so that taxpayers can never be put on the hook for corporate wrongdoing. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and in the House by Reps. Welch (D-VT) Gutierrez (D-IL) that goes a long way toward achieving this end.

“If this legislation were already law, then we could rest assured that future settlements for corporate misdeeds wouldn’t become a write-off. “

U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups, is a consumer group that stands up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society.